


Sleeping Through The Nightmares

by ImpulsivelyBlue



Category: Batman - All Media Types, Red Hood and the Outlaws (Comics), Red Robin (Comics)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Implied/Referenced Character Death, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-01-27
Updated: 2014-01-27
Packaged: 2018-01-10 06:26:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 461
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1156210
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ImpulsivelyBlue/pseuds/ImpulsivelyBlue
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>At first Tim hated to sleep. Even when he was younger the image of falling acrobats was ever present in his nightmares and behind his eyes as he falls with them in to a restless sleep.</p>
<p>After that its harder, at first its only the streets of Gotham that grow from  his mind and in to a labyrinth, surrounding him and keeping him from the boy in bright colours that’s so scared and wants to get away from the laugh, madness, pain of what he can imagine his death feels like.</p>
<p>Even those dreams like nightmare leave him eventually, replaced by warm blood on his hands and a body on the floor, at his feet. There are the lingering sounds of a woman laughing that follow him to the hospital as he visits his step mom. Eventually even that fades out with the realisation she wants to send him away to her sister across country.</p>
<p>When a red helmet and a familiar laugh starts to crawl in to his dreams from the shadows that the sun can never reach, long forgotten by the bright colours and laughter of a team and a now broken family. It is only then that is when sleep is no longer sleep. It is less than sleep, it is restless nights and laying in the darkness of his room.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Sleeping Through The Nightmares

 ---

At first Tim hated to sleep. Even when he was younger the image of falling acrobats was ever present in his nightmares and behind his eyes as he falls with them in to a restless sleep.

After that its harder, at first its only the streets of Gotham that grow from  his mind and in to a labyrinth, surrounding him and keeping him from the boy in bright colours that’s so scared and wants to get away from the laugh, madness, pain of what he can imagine his death feels like.

Even those dreams like nightmare leave him eventually, replaced by warm blood on his hands and a body on the floor, at his feet. There are the lingering sounds of a woman laughing that follow him to the hospital as he visits his step mom. Eventually even that fades out with the realisation she wants to send him away to her sister across country.

When a red helmet and a familiar laugh starts to crawl in to his dreams from the shadows that the sun can never reach, long forgotten by the bright colours and laughter of a team and a now broken family. It is only then that is when sleep is no longer sleep. It is less than sleep, it is restless nights and laying in the darkness of his room.

Eventually even that begins to change though. Sleep becomes a comfort and a fem more hours in nice company. It becomes time with Jason and being trusted enough to stay the night while he rests.

And as it changes and becomes sweeter, so do the dreams that are no longer nightmares. He sleeps for hours, safe in strong arms as the acrobats and bloody hands are chased away and the ringing laughter fades to a whisper.

The familiar laugh and the charming smile that he always sees accompanying the red helmet stay and Tim thinks that maybe that’s okay. Its no longer pain and a dirty rooftop, its safe warm and comfort. It’s everything Tim didn’t think he was allowed to have and so much more.  

Now waking up is no longer choking on screams and jerking awake as he falls, it’s waking up with a start and arms around him tightening and words muttered in to his neck. (“Go back to fucking sleep, just because bats are up all night doesn’t mean you need to be as well.”) It’s waking up in the morning still in someone’s arms and slowly in a comfortable warmth rolling over to smile shyly as he notices he’s not the only one awake.

He forgot it could be like that, not all nightmares and shadows but smiles and feeling refreshed and warm. It’s nice to be reminded that it can be.

 ---


End file.
